Birds to See in Namibia in May
56 bird species on our list for Namibia are recorded regularly in May
Of these, the most often recorded are Fork-tailed Drongo, Cape Starling, Pale-winged Starling, Helmeted Guineafowl and Egyptian Goose. New this month: Mallard.
On the move in May
GBIF · MayFrom Namibia’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 56 birds in May
56 birds
Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilisResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.98% in May
Cape StarlingLamprotornis nitensResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.54% in May
Pale-winged StarlingOnychognathus nabouroupResidentCommon25–28 cmRecorded all year · 1.17% in May
Helmeted GuineafowlNumida meleagrisResidentCommon53–63 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in May
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiacaResidentCommon63–73 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in May
Southern Masked WeaverPloceus velatusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in May
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.84% in May
Pied CrowCorvus albusResidentCommon46–52 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in May
Grey HeronArdea cinereaResidentCommon90–98 cmRecorded all year · 0.71% in May
Common OstrichStruthio camelusResidentCommon210–275 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in May
Cape SparrowPasser melanurusResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in May
African JacanaActophilornis africanusResidentCommon23–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in May
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollisResidentCommon23–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in May
Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusResidentCommon120–145 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in May
Little EgretEgretta garzettaResidentUncommon55–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in May
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentUncommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.41% in May
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in May
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in May
Spur-winged GoosePlectropterus gambensisResidentUncommon75–115 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in May
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboResidentUncommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in May
HoopoeUpupa epopsResidentCommon25–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in May
MoorhenGallinula chloropusResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in May
Lesser Striped SwallowCecropis abyssinicaWinter visitorUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in May
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.23% in May
AvocetRecurvirostra avosettaResidentUncommon42–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in May
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentUncommon48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucusResidentUncommon35–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in May
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaSummer visitorUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.14% in May
Barn OwlTyto albaResidentUncommon33–39 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in May
Lanner FalconFalco biarmicusResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Purple HeronArdea purpureaResidentUncommon78–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in May
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in May
GreenshankTringa nebulariaResidentUncommon30–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in May
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaResidentUncommon18–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollisResidentUncommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in May
African Pygmy-falconPolihierax semitorquatusResidentUncommon19–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentariusResidentUncommon112–150 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusWinter visitorUncommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in May
Alpine SwiftTachymarptis melbaResidentUncommon20–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in May
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaSummer visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.06% in May
African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorusSummer visitorUncommon44–52 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in May
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in May
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusPassage migrantUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.05% in May
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in May
Damara TernSternula balaenarumSummer visitorUncommon22–24 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Little StintCalidris minutaSummer visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusSummer visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaSummer visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in May
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in May
MallardAnas platyrhynchosSummer visitorRare50–65 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.03% in May
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorUncommon20–27 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in May
African PenguinSpheniscus demersusPassage migrantRare60–70 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.02% in May
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made